LFW 2012Fresh talent and new ideas — that’s what the Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2012 kicked off with, in Mumbai, on Friday. As many as seven new designers wooed fashionistas and critics at the opening of the five-day gala, with their distinct collections.

The Gen-Next show included new designers like Aniket Satam, Sneha Arora, Asa Kazingmei, Kavita Sharma, Richa Aggarwal and a group of three called Threesome.

All collections were largely based on an array of colours and textures, with designs which were quirky and garments that were innovative. The show started with designers Ashta and Sidharth’s collections, which was dominated by colours like bright yellow and navy blue. It was followed by a line by the Threesome, made of designers Mehak Pruthi, Kanika Seth and Ankit Sharma. “We based it on self-avatars, displaying the true emotion of being clandestine. We all have something hidden in us which we never let out,” they said of their line. The group also emphasised that they didn’t want to do away with the true flavour of India, and so they tried to “promote what we are.”

Another newcomer, Richa Aggarwal’s collection, could be best described as earthy. “I tried to represent the streets of the country through my collection. It was very colourful. The clothes were simple yet wearable,” said the debutante.

Designer Kavita Sharma also showcased her collection, called It’s A Beautiful Life. “The collection was based on the idea of rebirth depicted in the Bhagwad Gita. It’s about a small child who is amused by his surroundings, and all my garments had a different story behind them,” she said.

Designer Sneha Arora’s line had a completely different feel to it, with her models sporting an intellectual look. “My theme was ‘once upon a time in paradigm.’ The monotony of black and grey was broken by colour and digital prints,” she said. Designer Asa Kazingmei’s theme was called Immortal and the collection included simple silhouettes along with well-constructed structures, and motifs depicting bravery of soldiers.

The last showcase of the day was by designer Aniket Satam, who was inspired by the prediction, that the world would come to an end this year. The ongoing fashion extravaganza is in its 13th edition, and is being held at the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai.